The first dose of whooping cough vaccination is given at two months old, and recently two young children have died at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh, presumed to have contracted it from their siblings or parents but they were too young to have had the vaccine yet.

Experts have now said that parents should have a whooping cough booster for their newborn babies prior to the vaccine to ensure they do not pass it on.

Ulf Theilen, Consultant in the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit at the hospital, said:

“Despite modern paediatric intensive care, mortality remains high for young infants developing invasive pertussis.  The best solution is to prevent infection. Introducing an adolescent pertussis booster, as adopted in several countries, or more targeted vaccination of household contacts of this most vulnerable group should be carefully considered.”

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